The rest of the world does have a vote

In all of our bonding with the anger the rest of the world feels at the Shrub, we 48% forgot that they have a vote, in a way, too. Michael Ventura of the Austin Chronicle just reminded me of this.

Also: the European Union, China, and Southern Asia, have been hanging back, hoping we Americans would clean our own house and vote Bush out. We failed. They can't afford to hang back any longer. The U.S., thrown into heavy debt by Bush, now depends on these powers to buy our bonds. Their collective hand is on our financial spigot and they'll start turning it slowly toward "off." They'll do it carefully, but they'll do it, because it's the only check they have on Bush America. They needn't cut their investment much to make us hurt. Combine the two – our internal weaknesses and dependence on foreign financing – and we're in big trouble.

Just as surely as we 48% didn't want to inflict the fucker on the world for another four years, I'm sure foreign financiers don't want to inflict economic devestation on us. But they have no choice.

My mom asked me why I voted for Kerry. I shouldn't have offered my assessment of his record and character, though that was a good answer. I should have waved my hand at the house that my boyfriend and I just bought and said, "Because I love this house and want to keep it."